People who have reached State Pension age and meet certain criteria may be able to claim £76.70 a week or more – and the benefit isn’t means-tested. Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) designed to assist people of State Pension age (66 or 67, depending on when you were born) with additional costs for those living with a disability or health condition severe enough to require care from another person.

It is paid out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at two separate rates, with the amount awarded to successful claimants dependent on the level of care needed as a result of the disability or health condition, according to the UK Government website. Claimants can get £76.70 or £114.60 a week to help with personal support if two key criteria apply.

This includes:

• that the disability or health condition must be serious enough that the claimant requires assistance looking after themselves, or supervision to ensure their own or somebody else’s safety
• that the claimant has required that level of care for a minimum of six months

The £76.70 rate is awarded to those deemed by the DWP to need frequent assistance or constant supervision during the day, or supervision during the night.

The £114.60 rate is for individuals recognised to need help or supervision throughout both the day and night, or those who a medical professional has confirmed are approaching the end of their life.

Given how expensive care can be, it is vital that those who are eligible claim the benefit without delay, particularly as payments are not backdated and start from the date you applied – if the claim is successful.

MoneySavingExpert.com, the consumer finance website established by money saving guru Martin Lewis, says Attendance Allowance is “one of the most underclaimed benefits, with as many as 1.1 million missing out on up to £5.2 BILLION a year”.

MSE urges people with support needs covered by the eligibility criteria to establish whether they qualify.

People may also not be aware that the benefit is not means-tested, meaning your earnings or savings don’t influence whether you can get it, or how much you receive, with recipients free to spend the money as they wish.

Additionally, it’s also not subject to tax, and therefore has no impact on your tax status. What’s more, you don’t need to be receiving the State Pension to apply, as it is based solely on age and care needs.

Getting on the benefit can also unlock access to other benefits, including additional Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, helping you make further savings as cost-of-living pressures mount

You can apply for Attendance Allowance online or by post. Those applying for someone else and who are an appointee, you, or a deputy with power of attorney will need to complete a paper form and apply by post.

Other eligibility criteria apply, such as not being on certain benefits, including:

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

In Scotland, Attendance allowance has been replaced by the Pension Age Disability Payment. You can find out more about eligibility on the UK Government website.